Against all odds, the Indiana Pacers made the Conference Finals for the first time in a decade. Many will blame it on the injuries of other teams, but in the end, none of that matters. The Indiana Pacers beat all of those veteran teams with little to no playoff experience for majority of their roster.

Now that they’re out of the playoffs, the Indiana Pacers could go ahead and target one of their biggest flaws: defense. They were one of the worst defensive teams in the playoffs and it showed very glaringly at times. Here are some trades that could help fix some of the defensive woes that were exposed in the playoffs.

Jarred Vanderbilt

Indiana Pacers get: Jarred Vanderbilt

Los Angeles Lakers get: Obi Toppin (S & T), 2024 2nd (36th pick), 2024 2nd (50th pick)

Getting another wing defender is going to be crucial for the Indiana Pacers this summer. They’ve got some solid defenders that are under 6’5, but no one that could put up a fight against a Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum.

Enter in Jarred Vanderbilt who’s shown the ability to be an above average defender from the wing position. He’s not the greatest shooting threat, but that doesn’t matter when you play on one of the greatest offenses in the league.

Herb Jones

Indiana Pacers get: Herb Jones

New Orleans Pelicans get: Andrew Nembhard, 2024 2nd (36th pick)

Another wing defender for the Pacers to target, arguably the best in the league in Herb Jones. His ability to disrupt plays consistently and make a noticeable impact is why the Pacers should target him.

Trading away Nembhard isn’t going to be an easy move, but getting an elite defender at the wing position on a great contract? You can’t beat that. Herb Jones would come in and immediately be the Pacers best defender and starting small forward from now on.

Nick Richards

Indiana Pacers get: Nick Richards

Charlotte Hornets get: Kendall Brown, 2024 2nd (36th pick)

The Pacers lack a true rebounding center and it showed to cause issues for them at times in the playoffs. Getting Nick Richards as a backup center who can come in and bring some presence in the paint whenever Myles Turner isn’t on the court would be another great get.

Richards averaged 8 rebounds a game last season as a starting center for most of the year. When given 30+ minutes, he averaged 10+ reobunds as game so he’s definitely more than capable of being a solid rebounder the Pacers could utilize.